Lab members

We’re pleased to announce the arrival of our new postdoc, Dr. Regan Scott, from the Michael J. Soares lab at Kansas University Medical Center. Regan received her B.S. from Kansas State University and M.S. in Biomedical Sciences from Kansas City University. During her graduate studies with Professor Soares, Regan studied placental development with a focus on trophoblast stem cell differentiation to the invasive lineage. After receiving her Ph.D. in 2025, she joined the Theunissen lab to continue advancing the field of stem cell and developmental biology. Regan is a strong advocate for scientific research and reproductive health, and in her spare time she enjoys baking, doing puzzles, being outdoors, and spending time with family, friends, and her pets.

Regan, welcome to the team!

Laura Fischer, who served as a graduate student and briefly as a postdoc in our lab from 2018-2024, has taken up a new position as Director of the Human Cells, Tissues, and Organoids (hCTO) Core within WashU’s Center of Regenerative Medicine, effective December 1, 2024. During her PhD studies, Laura developed a methodology to track and mitigate imprint erasure during induction of naive human pluripotency. We thank Laura for her contributions and wish her all the best in her new position!

Rosa is a postbaccalaureate researcher in the Developmental Biology, Cell Biology, and Regenerative Medicine research program and joined the Theunissen lab in August 2024. She graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 2021 with a degree in Biological Sciences and a minor in Biomedical Engineering. She worked as a Research Technician in Dr. Andrew Duncan’s lab at the University of Pittsburgh, focusing on characterizing cellular regeneration and gene expression in chronic liver disease development. In her free time, she enjoys baking, playing tennis, and bullet journaling.

Dr. Rowan Karvas has accepted a tenure-track faculty position at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, effective September 1, 2024. During her postdoctoral training in the Theunissen lab, Dr. Karvas pioneered the derivation of 3D trophoblast organoid and blastoid models from naive human pluripotent stem cells. In her independent lab, which will be based in the CU Division of Reproductive Sciences, Dr. Karvas will apply these in vitro model systems to investigate various aspects of human placental development, with the long-term goal of improving women’s and children’s health. We thank Dr. Karvas for her contributions to the lab over the past four years and wish her all the best in the next phase of her career!